This invention relates to a weaving heddle having an elongated heddle shaft and U-hook shaped end loops on opposite ends for holding the heddle on opposed heddle carrying rods of a heddle frame, the loops including shanks for overlapping with the rods.
Weaving heddles with laterally open end loops engaging riderless heddle frames are generally known, such weaving heddles on the heddle carrying rod being freely movable without being hindered by rod holders so that the heddles may follow even the slightest movement of the warp ends. The easy movability of the heddles on the heddle carrying rod, moreover, makes it possible, with a dense setting of the heddles, to easily divide them manually if necessary in order to eliminate downtime of the machine.
The easy movability of these weaving heddles on heddle carrying rods is effected by the prevailing play or tolerance between the heddles and the heddle carrying rods which results from the difference between the distance of the spaced inside support surfaces at the loop ends and the distance between the outer edges of the two heddle carrying rods against which the end loops strike during the oscillating movement of the heddle frame. This occurs at each reversal of movement of the heddle frame and the resulting striking of the heddles against the heddle carrying rods contributes in a substantial manner to development of the noise level in weaving rooms and, on the other hand, causes wear and tear.
Thus, attempts have been made to reduce the tolerance or play between the end loops of the heddles and the heddle carrying rods to achieve as small a tolerance as possible while at the same time assuring movability of the heddles on the heddle carrying rods. Prior approaches have, however, not been altogether successful.